Journalism of Courage
Eleven people, who were trapped after a wall of a dilapidated, abandoned building fell on their houses in Pune’s Kondhwa Budruk area, were rescued by the fire brigade and local residents on Thursday morning. No casualties or injuries were reported.
The incident took place around 8.30 am. “The old building is very dilapidated and all the residents have moved out owing to its condition. A side wall of this building fell down on three small houses located next to the building,” a fire brigade official who was part of the response team said.
The officer said that by the time the fire brigade reached the spot, local residents had rescued five people. Six people were rescued by the fire brigade.
This is the fifth such incident in Pune in the last one week amidst spells of heavy rains.
On Tuesday afternoon, a 55-year-old man working as a watchman at a construction project was killed after the wall and ceiling of a small garment shop fell on him in Ganesh Peth area. On Monday midnight, two persons were injured and two others escaped unhurt after a portion of an old building – a two-storeyed, old wada or cluster of houses – in Nana Peth area of Pune caved.
On Monday evening, part of an old wada in Somwar Peth caved in following incessant rains. No casualties were reported in the incident as occupants had already moved to safer areas of the building.
On the morning of July 9, six residents of a dilapidated wada located in Shukrawar Peth area, who were trapped after partial collapse of the structure, were rescued by Pune Fire brigade. No one was injured in the incident.
